There are few things that refresh as much as the zesty kick of citrus, enchant like the velvety texture of a white chocolate mousse, and comfort like a delicate rooibos tea-infused rusk. What better way to welcome in a new season than with the sweetness of a sumptuous treat? Each layer of this dessert is a tribute to the art of indulgence and proof that opposites really do attract!
Lemon Rusk and White Chocolate Mousse Trifle
Setting time: jelly: 4 hours, mousse: 2 hours | Prep time: 1 hour | Serves: 6-8
INGREDIENTS
for the lemon and honey jelly
300 ml Forage and Feast Lemon & Honey Cordial
5 gelatin sheets
80 ml water
10 ml lemon zest
for the lemon curd
100 ml lemon juice
30 ml Forage and Feast Lemon & Honey Cordial
5 ml lemon zest
65 g sugar
3 large eggs
90 g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
for the white chocolate mousse
200 g white chocolate, chopped
200 g cream cheese, room temperature
2 egg whites
90 g castor sugar
1 tonka bean, grated (optional)
5 ml lemon zest
for the dunked rusks
400 g Forage and Feast Lemon & Poppy Seed Rusks
2 Forage and Feast Rooibos teabags
300 ml water
METHOD
for the lemon and honey jelly
Start by soaking the gelatin sheets in a bowl of ice water. In a medium saucepan, add the lemon cordial and water, and bring them to a gentle simmer. Once it’s simmering, remove from heat. Take the gelatin sheets from the ice water, squeeze out any excess water, and whisk them into the warm cordial mixture until dissolved. Add the lemon zest and pour the mixture into an 18 cm cake tin lined with non-stick baking paper. Place it in the fridge to set, which will take at least 4 hours.
for the lemon curd
Whisk together the lemon juice, lemon cordial, lemon zest, sugar, and eggs in a mixing bowl. Transfer this mixture to a saucepan and place it on low heat. Stir continuously until the mixture thickens; it should have the consistency of very thick custard. While keeping the saucepan on low heat, add the cubed unsalted butter one piece at a time, whisking continuously until all the butter is incorporated. Transfer the lemon curd to a clean bowl and let it cool to room temperature. Store it in the fridge until needed.
for the white chocolate mousse
Place the chopped white chocolate in a bowl and add the room-temperature cream cheese on top. Position this bowl over a saucepan of simmering water to create a double boiler. Keep the heat low and use a spatula to stir the mixture until both the chocolate and cream cheese have melted and combined. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, then gradually add the castor sugar while continuing to whisk. Gently fold this meringue into the melted chocolate mixture. Add the lemon zest and grated tonka bean, if using. Place the mousse in a bowl and put it in the fridge to set for at least 2 hours.
for the dunked rusks
In a small saucepan, bring 300 ml of water to a gentle simmer and add 2 Forage and Feast Rooibos teabags. Allow it to simmer for about 2 minutes, then remove from heat. To assemble the trifle, quickly dip half of the rusks into the warm Rooibos tea and arrange them at the bottom of your serving plate or cake stand. Layer the soaked rusks with a spoonful of the white chocolate mousse, followed by a layer of lemon curd and a layer of the set lemon and honey jelly. Repeat these layers, finishing with a final layer of white chocolate mousse.
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